Changing the Tides
by Mutant-Enemy-730
Summary: PostReloaded spoilers. Neo and Trinity, along with Morpheus, Link, and the crew of the Logos embark on a mission to find an end to the war. Written before Revolutions came out. FINISHED!
1. Waking up isn't easy or is it?

The lights flickered on, then off, then on again. The harsh fluorescent yellow beam cut through the darkness like a sword, piercing the eyes of any sleeping person. Neo blinked a few times before fully opening his eyes. The silence in his room was broken by a muffled, "Turn the world off, I want to sleep." from Trinity. Neo smiled warmly as he tightened his grip around his love's waist. Pulling her body closer to his own- if that was possible, Neo kissed the back of her neck, and slowly moved along her shoulder blades until Trinity turned her body to kiss him back. Neo moved his body on top of hers, deepening the kiss as she tangled her fingers in his hair. Just as Trinity let out a slow moan into his mouth, the handle on the door twisted in a high-pitched screech and the door began to open.  
  
Neo quickly pulled the blankets up further around them, and ignored the interruption. Trinity, who had begun to prepare for the view the person was going to get, was lost again in Neo's lips. Neo smiled into her neck as he heard the door slowly shut behind him. He could feel Trinity smiling too, but that wasn't because the intruder knew not to bother them. Another small nip at her neck and Neo pulled back. Trinity immediately noticed the warmth had left her neck and opened her eyes in curiosity.  
  
"What's wrong?"  
  
"Well, if someone came to our door, there was probably a reason behind it." Neo answered as he sat up and immediately regretted it when the cold rushed against him.  
  
"It may not have been all that important- they did leave."  
  
"Since when did I become the voice of reason?" Neo asked playfully.  
  
Trinity blushed slightly.  
  
"Since you got me in the mood."  
  
Neo smiled back at her. He lowered himself down on top of her again, relishing in the warmth of Trinity's body against his.  
  
"You win." Neo said as he leaned down to kiss her.  
  
Trinity smiled, and just as Neo's lips would've met her own, she turned her head and began to sit up.  
  
"You know, you're probably right, we do have to get up, and we do have jobs to do."  
  
Neo's facial expression was priceless. As Trinity began to pull on her clothes, she watched Neo recover and follow suit. Two pairs of boots clanked on the floor at the same time as they stood together to leave. Before Trinity could open the door however, Neo spun her around and pressed his lips to hers roughly. Trinity reacted in kind, wrapping her arms around him and pulled his body against hers. As the kiss ended reluctantly, Neo whispered to Trinity quietly,  
  
"I love you, but damn woman, you can make me go insane."  
  
"Insane with what?" Trinity asked, perplexed.  
  
"A craving for you."  
  
"I see. Well, save the insanity for a later time.when we don't have any pressing engagements." Trinity responded, wrenching the door open and walking out.  
  
As they entered the mess hall to eat, Trinity noted that for once, they were the last to arrive. Everyone looked up from their bowls of "food" to see the pair sit down to eat on opposite sides of the table.  
  
"I'm sorry if I intruded earlier, I thought you two would be dressed, or just waking up, not." Link said to them, allowing the silence to finish his apology.  
  
"Did you want something?" Trinity asked.  
  
"Morpheus and Niobe want to talk to Neo." Ghost replied curtly, not even looking at either of them.  
  
"Thanks." Neo said, glancing up at Ghost. It wasn't that Ghost's past with Trinity bothered him, it didn't, it was the fact that Ghost thought he could just move right back in with her when they got on the ship. Apparently, Ghost, along with everyone else on the ship, excluding Niobe, didn't know about his relationship with Trinity until the day after he woke up.  
  
Trinity nudged Neo's leg with her foot, implying, be nice. Neo lifted his eyes to her own and nodded slightly. Finishing his breakfast, Neo stood and left to find Morpheus. 


	2. What to do with an hour of spare time

"I just don't think this is a good idea, Morpheus." Niobe's voice cut through the silence as Neo neared the core.  
  
"I believe we should leave that up to him." Came the softer reply.  
  
"What isn't a good idea?" Neo asked, letting his presence become known.  
  
"Neo, good morning, I trust you slept well?" Morpheus asked, his face warm with kindness.  
  
Neo smiled slightly, knowing Link had told Morpheus what he'd seen.  
  
"Yes, I did. Thank you. So what's this idea?"  
  
"Morpheus wants you to try what you did to those Sentinels again." Niobe answered flatly.  
  
"And why don't you think it's a good idea?" Neo turned to her.  
  
"Because when you did that, you went into a coma for two weeks." Trinity's reply came from behind him. "There's something you apparently figured out when you did that, and you learned more about it in your coma, and Morpheus has some sort of half-cocked idea about stopping them."  
  
"It's not half-cocked, Trinity." Morpheus replied with a sigh. "Neo, you know what you did, do you not?"  
  
Trinity looked at him with a questioning face- he had not told her this.  
  
"Yes, I do know." Neo answered, looking into Trinity's eyes. He turned away from her and looked back at Morpheus. "Instead of me trying to stop them, I have a better idea. Just give me Link and Grace, two yards of cables, tools, an energy cell, and half a day."  
  
"What do you expect to do with all of that?" Niobe asked.  
  
"With some elbow grease, and a little luck, a force field for the EMP where we won't have to turn the ship off to turn it on. It'll always be on. That way, when we enter the Matrix, we won't have any worries. Any Sentinel or program sent by the machines will be disabled in that force field." Neo explained.  
  
"That's a little far fetched if you don't mind my skepticism." Niobe responded.  
  
"I don't. But then again, if it doesn't work, you can't blame me for trying." Neo answered.  
  
"All right. Well start in one hour. Until then," Morpheus' glance traveled from Neo to Trinity and back again. "Keep yourselves busy."  
  
Neo nodded and left, with Trinity following him to their quarters.  
  
Once safely inside, and away from prying ears, Trinity turned from the door and asked gently, "Why didn't you tell me?"  
  
"Because I didn't know what I had learned either. Not until yesterday did I figure out what I knew. I went and told Morpheus, who said he'd talk with Niobe. When I came back here, you were asleep." Neo answered guiltily. She always did that; she could always make him feel bad about something he did.  
  
Trinity nodded, the stoic façade beginning to build up on her face. Neo crossed the two feet between them and kissed her fiercely, determined to keep her from blocking out her emotions. A quiet whimper of protest escaped her mouth before the all-encompassing need to kiss Neo overtook her. As everything else vanished from their minds, Trinity pushed Neo against the back wall, allowing him to explore her with his lips. Trinity felt a fire burning where Neo's lips trailed down her throat. Neo moved his mouth back over hers as Trinity slid her hands under his shirt.  
  
As they fell, however ungracefully, to the bed, Neo couldn't help but sigh at the burning sensation her hands created wherever she touched him. Trinity pulled off Neo's shirt and lowered her lips to his chest. As she moved upwards, she paused to suck on the side of his throat- causing Neo to emit a soft moan. Neo pulled off Trinity's shirt and slid his hands from her sides to her back, gripping her tightly. As their lips met again and again, Neo lost track of time, allowing his own body to fuse with hers.  
  
"Your lips are swollen." Neo commented, trailing his fingers along Trinity's jaw line.  
  
"Yeah, I get that a lot from you." Trinity smiled, pressing her forehead against Neo's.  
  
Neo closed his eyes, letting the past hour, day, year, however long they had just spent together, be relived in his mind.  
  
"What are you thinking about?" Trinity inquired gently.  
  
"The fires you create under my skin when you touch me." Neo responded.  
  
Trinity pressed her hand over his heart- where hers had slowed down, his sped up as she placed her hand over it.  
  
"Like this?" Trinity asked softly, sliding her hand down his chest and then back up again.  
  
Neo nodded, his eyes still closed. Trinity slid her hand around his back and kissed him softly. Neo responded immediately, his arms enveloping her in his embrace. Trinity sighed as his lips traveled down her neck but couldn't help but crave for a more personal connection. Helping Neo to be more firmly on top of her, Trinity quickly forgot where she ended and he began as he slid inside of her.  
  
Once again, the screech of the door called their attention away from the matters at hand. Trinity pulled up the blanket to cover both of them fully, as Neo slid off to her side.  
  
"Neo, hey, it's- God, I'm so sorry, why does this happen to me?" Link asked as his face flushed.  
  
He turned away to stare into the hall and continued his reason for being at their door. "Morpheus says that if you want to try this new thing of yours, you better get out there now- you're already 15 minutes late."  
  
"Oh shit." Neo mumbled. "Thanks Link. I'll be out there as fast as I can."  
  
"Yup. Oh and Neo? Try not to get sidetracked on your way." Link added, smiling as he closed the door. 


	3. Force field anyone?

"I sure hope you know what you're doing- if this fuel cell is wasted." Niobe let her words of caution trail off.  
  
"That cell only is a back up, in case the ship is off- then it will switch on- manually of course." Neo explained.  
  
Trinity, along with the rest of the crew were all in the core, awaiting the commands of work, but this unexpected change of events caused more interest than normal.  
  
"Just what are you trying to do?" Ghost's unbelieving voice spoke out.  
  
"Let's not go into details now, since it may not work at all." Morpheus covered.  
  
"If it may not work, then why are we trying it at all?" Grace asked gently.  
  
"We have to try something. After the amount of losses we've gained, we need anything we can get." Neo responded. Only Trinity, Morpheus and Link knew of which door he chose when he was with the Architect. If anyone else knew, they might not take his ideas so lightly.  
  
"Well, you might want to get to work then, if you need half of a day." Morpheus added, halting any questions with a mere statement.  
  
Neo nodded, and turned to Trinity as Grace and Link gathered some of the equipment.  
  
"Try to make it work." She said as he kissed her forehead gently.  
  
"I will." Neo smiled as he turned away, gathered the rest of the equipment, and followed the others.  
  
"Okay, what's first?" Link asked the moment they entered the furthest room from the core with all the cables and switches that got the ship running.  
  
"Let's see, Grace, do you know where the main wires for the EMP are?" Neo asked, looking around.  
  
"Over in the corner."  
  
"And where's the main power switch?"  
  
"To your left, the big, black handle."  
  
"Thanks. Link, I want you to cut the cover of the EMP wire, but don't cut the wire. Grace, try to find the wires behind that switch." Neo turned and began to look for a specific connector for the energy cell.  
  
"'K, I got the wire showing."  
  
"I found the hidden wires, which one do you want?'  
  
Neo looked up from what he was doing, to answer. "The connector wire for the EMP. When you find it, cut off the cover."  
  
"Gotcha." Grace began picking out different wires, looking for that specific one.  
  
Some time later.  
  
Link, via intercom, told Niobe to shut off the entire ship.  
  
"Are you crazy? We'll be a sitting duck." Niobe scoffed.  
  
Neo's voice came clearly over the intercom. "Niobe, the only way to make this work is to restart the whole ship."  
  
Niobe glanced around the core at everyone in it. Turning to Ghost, "Shut her off."  
  
Ghost paused, a pause that did not go unnoticed by anyone, least of all, Trinity. A few switches of the buttons and the room became dark, silence enveloping them.  
  
"Power offline."  
  
Niobe nodded, waiting for something, anything. Suddenly, Neo's voice cut through the darkness.  
  
"Who wants to go check and see if this works? Go to the main deck, the driving area." Everyone rushed forward, leaving Ghost to man the power station.  
  
"What are we looking for?" Trinity asked.  
  
"Ghost, switch on the power- manually."  
  
"Manually?"  
  
"Yes." Neo's one word answer finished any questioning.  
  
A few moments passed before the lights flicked on and the normal hum of the ship returned.  
  
"Neo? What are we looking for?" Morpheus asked.  
  
"You'll feel a shudder pass through the ship and then look for a blue wall almost going away from the ship. It'll become invisible when it stops so don't blink." Neo explained.  
  
Suddenly, the ship rocked slightly and then, to the amazement of the crew, a blue, curved wall flew out from the ship, disappearing almost instantly.  
  
"It worked Neo, you can come back up now." Niobe shut off the intercom. 


	4. Revelations

"We have to contact the other ships and tell them about this. Once the rest of the ships have this, we can safely search for survivors and go into the Matrix." Morpheus had a hopeful gleam in his eyes, one that neither Trinity, nor Neo had seen since the night Neo went to meet the Architect.  
  
"Morpheus, there are no survivors." Neo added quietly.  
  
"There must be, the machines couldn't have been so thorough to get."  
  
"Everything and everyone is gone. The Architect made sure of that when I made my choice." Neo cut him off.  
  
"Surely not everyone." Niobe piped up.  
  
"Well, save for two or three other ships, yes, everyone." Neo's eyes flicked to Niobe's.  
  
"What was your choice, Neo?" Grace asked quietly.  
  
A moment of silence passed between them as Neo glanced at Trinity and, upon gaining a nod, opened his mouth to speak.  
  
"I was given two choices. One door led to the somewhat salvation of Zion. Meaning, Zion, along with the Matrix would be destroyed, save for 17 women and 6 men of my own choosing from the Matrix. Those men and women would then be freed to begin making a new Zion, and the process would start all over."  
  
"What process?" Morpheus asked.  
  
"The Architect told me that I was the sixth 'One'. An anomaly in the Matrix creates me because of a flaw; the human flaw is something that the machines can never hope to perfect. The five others always choose the first door because they, like myself, are part of humanity and love it, but are disconnected in their love. My love was much more specific. The other door led to the immediate destruction of Zion and Trinity. He already knew which door I would choose, since that's what it all comes down to- choices.  
  
"As I turned towards the door to which I could get to Trinity, he told me that I wouldn't be able to save her. And he was right, but he was more wrong than he ever thought. He commented several times on how I was different from the others. And I am. I, unlike the other Ones, have more than just the fight against the machines as a drive to win the war. I'm more human than any of them due to my emotions, the ones the Architect scoffed at since they blind me to all rational thought."  
  
"You chose the door that Trinity was behind even though you knew you were indeed choosing the destruction of Zion?" Ghost asked, and upon seeing Neo nod, "Isn't that a bit selfish?" Before anyone could react Neo stepped toward him, but his eyes showed no anger, merely anguish,  
  
"Ghost, sometimes the choices that look wrong in the first place, turn out to be the right ones. Besides, would you rather be here now, still fighting, than be dead, while the machines press the 'restart' button? It's just one big loop, over and over again. Nothing changes! They all chose the same fucking door. I didn't. It was a choice the machines had yet to experience, even though they knew the effects of my choice. I know it seems selfish, and in most parts it is, I will admit to that, but you know something? I'd regret what I was giving up more than what I have now if I chose the other door."  
  
"Is that because Trinity wouldn't be with you?" Link asked quietly.  
  
Trinity's eyes flicked to Neo's.  
  
"Less than you'd think, actually. If I chose that other door, what we have fought so hard for will just be swept out from under us, and we'd have to start all over again. Would you really want to do that? Yes, it would probably kill me, if I consciously chose to start over versus having Trinity. Selfish? Yes, but that's what makes us better, what makes us human, what makes us flawed. We make choices in the heat of the moment, driven not by our minds, but by our hearts. A computer doesn't understand that though. To it, everything is black and white, to us; there are many shades of gray. Which leads to the conclusion that our hearts tell the truth when the mind is trying to find something wrong with a choice we make."  
  
Morpheus nodded, understanding. However, Ghost would not take it so lightly.  
  
"You fucking chose what your dick wants over Zion not being destroyed? You fucking bastard!" Ghost moved towards Neo, but was flattened to the floor by Trinity's right hook.  
  
"You're the bastard. You'd be dead right now if it wasn't for him. So would I, so would everyone here. Because of his 'selfish' choice, we're still here, and that is better than ever starting over again." Trinity glared down into Ghosts eyes. Seething, Trinity was about to kick him, when Neo's hand touched her shoulder. She whipped around, only to soften and back away from Ghost.  
  
Wish, the ship's medic, rushed forward. Upon helping him up, Niobe faced Ghost.  
  
"Go to your quarters when Wish has finished cleaning you up. Do not leave them until I have given you orders to." Ghost nodded, regretting his outrage at the sight of Trinity's look of hatred and the blood spilling out of his nose. He loved her, she knew it, but it was an unrequited love. He just hated the fact that Trinity would love a man who chose for his own reasons, not the worlds.  
  
Ghost and Wish left, leaving the core in an uncomfortable silence.  
  
"Well, that went well." Link piped up. 


	5. Persephone's sampling has changed

"I don't know how I was ever attracted to him." Trinity practically yelled the moment she and Neo enter their quarters.  
  
"Me neither. Didn't the Oracle prophesize you loving the One?" Neo asked.  
  
Trinity glared at him before responding.  
  
"Yes, but that doesn't mean I didn't try to prove her wrong. Trinity the soldier would never feel, never mind love a man. I was always the tough, unfeeling person on the ship, but Ghost could just get under my skin and in a way that I liked. By having a relationship- if that's what you would call one-night stands every time we got back to Zion- with him, I thought I was proving the Oracle wrong. But then, one day, Morpheus came to me and asked me to watch over a new person he was thinking of unplugging. I agreed, and fell in love with the coding that was so distinctly Thomas A. Anderson's. I didn't really know how I felt about you, until I met you at the club."  
  
"Yeah, me too. But I didn't know it then. All I knew was how enthralled I was. You mesmerized me."  
  
"What mesmerized you?" Trinity asked, the hint of a smile playing over her smooth features.  
  
"Three things, I know for certain took hold of me. Your silky voice tickling my ear, your body pressed close against mine and just, your body." Neo smiled.  
  
"My body?"  
  
"The whole package." Neo responded, moving to kiss her neck. Trinity, however, had other plans.  
  
"So your saying, you were more interested in my body than me?" She asked, pushing Neo back.  
  
"Trinity, I had never met you before, my life was turning upside down, and you were in a tight-fitting, leather outfit. Please, I'm a man, and I'm only human."  
  
"Sure. That's what they always say." Trinity laughed, pulling Neo towards her.  
  
"Uhhh, Morpheus? Niobe? I think I found something that may help us. Then again, getting it won't be fun." Link popped his head into the two-bed captains' quarters.  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"Well, there's this virus I've found inside the Matrix. Hidden. And well, it's being held and it's very well hidden. But it could help us greatly if we get it."  
  
"What makes you say that Link?" Niobe inquired.  
  
"Well, if taken from it's hiding place and then repatched into the system, we could destroy hundreds of thousands of Sentinel programs. Also, it could help shut down whole system areas of agents."  
  
"So what your saying is that this virus works against the machines? Who would make such a thing inside the Matrix?" Niobe asked.  
  
"I can think of someone." Morpheus quietly stated.  
  
***  
  
"Look, I don't want to do this either, but she is the only person-"  
  
"Machine." Trinity interrupted.  
  
"-Program that can help us." Neo finished.  
  
"I will not allow you to be alone with that, that woman, dammit!" Trinity persisted, tears pricking at the back of her eyes.  
  
"He won't be. Niobe, you and I will go in with him." Morpheus pointed out.  
  
"Do you remember what the trade was last time?"  
  
"Yes." Morpheus answered.  
  
"Well, what makes you so certain she won't want something more this time?"  
  
"We aren't. Trinity," Neo glanced at the others, a glance asking for privacy. When they were alone, Neo continued.  
  
"I love you. Nothing will change that. But we need this virus, the coding for it, and in order to get it from Persephone, if I have to-"  
  
"Stop. I know. But I can't help thinking she's taking you away from me."  
  
"You'll never lose me. My heart is yours. Always."  
  
"Promise?"  
  
"I promise."  
  
"All right. Let's go- before I change my mind."  
  
*** Morpheus approached the guards calmly.  
  
"What do you want?" the shorter and fatter one asked.  
  
"To see Persephone."  
  
"And just why do you think we'll let you?" Shorty asked.  
  
Neo stepped forward.  
  
"Just tell her that Neo is here." The guards flicked glances before one left.  
  
Trinity looked at Neo through her glasses, if he only knew how much this is eating me up. The guard came back, looking a little worse for the wear.  
  
"Alright, but only leather girl and Neo can go in. You and the other woman are to stay here." Shorty answered.  
  
"This way." The second goon motioned for Neo to step forward.  
  
"So, to what do I owe this special treat?" Persephone purred once Trinity and Neo had entered.  
  
"You have something we want." Trinity stated.  
  
"A virus. One that attacks the machines and programs." Neo continued.  
  
"And what do I get in return?" Persephone asked, her eyes bouncing from one to the other.  
  
"What do you want?" Neo asked, trying to keep calm.  
  
"Ooooh, I can just feel the storm raging inside of you by having to ask that question." Laughing Persephone strode toward the guards, "Leave us until I call for you."  
  
"Now, let's see. I want a million things without a care for any of them. And yet, I do want to understand the love you two have. However, I do know that by asking for another sample will most likely get me killed, I'll choose something different." Persephone walked towards the pair.  
  
Trinity stepped forward, her arm brushing against Neo's while her facial features expressed a "you touch him, I kill you" look. Persephone merely laughed at the sight.  
  
"Woman. Trinity is it?" Trinity nodded slightly. "I do not wish to touch, nor kiss your man. However, I do want to see the fire between you that I only felt for a few seconds."  
  
"What are you asking?" Neo demanded.  
  
Persephone pushed open a pair of extremely decorated doors, revealing a plush bed, candles, and a few cameras surrounding the room. As the pair stepped forward, unsure of just what would happen here, Persephone stated,  
  
"I want to see you love her. I want to understand."  
  
Neo looked at the mirrored lenses that blocked out Trinity's blue eyes. The hand that gripped his was the only answer he got.  
  
"Fine." Neo answered.  
  
"All right then. I'll leave. The cameras are what I'll use to see." Persephone smiled seductively and left, closing the doors behind them.  
  
"This is different. Not at all what I was expecting." Trinity deadpanned.  
  
"Well, I think it's better than having to do this with her." Neo responded.  
  
"Definitely." Trinity moved away to take off her glasses and her boots. She heard Neo do the same, but before she turned around, she felt his warm lips touching her neck.  
  
"This isn't real." Trinity mumbled, turning her neck and body to push into him more.  
  
"And yet, we don't have much choice."  
  
"Let's just hope Link isn't watching.  
  
"Oh, I know he is. He has to."  
  
"Great, this will be the third time he's seen this."  
  
"At least this time it's in coding." Neo stated, silencing the conversation with another kiss to her neck.  
  
"Are all the cameras working?"  
  
"Yes ma'am."  
  
"Good. Leave. Now." Persephone turned to the men in the camera room, and watched them run out. Persephone sat down and after a few clicks of the keyboard, had the 7 cameras that were on in Trinity and Neo's room in front of her. A smile played on her lips at the site of Neo slowly unzipping Trinity's outfit.  
  
"My God, are they getting it on in the Matrix? While on a mission?" Ghost asked, gripping the back of Grace's chair.  
  
"Back off. Now." Link looked at Ghost, watching him retreat to his quarters before turning back to the screens.  
  
"Why do you think they're doing that now?" Grace asked, eyes never leaving the screen.  
  
"If there's one thing I know about Trinity and Neo, it's that they prefer to do this in reality, not their minds. Where it's real. Something must be up if they're doing it there."  
  
"Call Morpheus."  
  
"No. He doesn't need to know what they're up to." Link answered.  
  
"Fine. I'll go get us some water. Try to give them a little privacy?" Grace asked, leaving her chair.  
  
"It's just coding." Link responded with a shrug.  
  
"Well, their heartbeats and brainwaves aren't. And I know you can read those from there." Grace nodded in the direction of Neo's chair, where his vital statistics had become faster.  
  
"Fine. Five minute break, I'll stare off into space." Link concluded.  
  
"Good. They don't need anyone prying in on them right now."  
  
"This feels weird." Trinity mumbled.  
  
"Try to ignore the cameras. The sooner this is done, the faster we get that virus." Neo responded, standing inches from her.  
  
"Oh? So you don't want to do this?" Trinity allowed the edge in her voice to ring clear as she began to slowly zip up the front of her suit. Neo hadn't gone far before they stopped to adjust to the situation they were in.  
  
"No. I mean yes. I mean.Look, you and I both know that we prefer this in the real world, but right now, doing this is what'll get us ahead of the machines. It's not that I don't want to do this, you know I do, it's just that it's harder since I know it's not real."  
  
"Neo, I understand. All I said was that it feels weird to do this in front of, well, HER."  
  
"She's not IN the room, that's a plus. Just silent cameras." Neo tilted his head to one said, a small smile playing at the sides of his lips.  
  
"Joy, I'm being videotaped for the porn-loving men of the Matrix. I feel so much better now." Trinity drawled out sarcastically.  
  
"Trin." Neo moved towards her. One step. Another step. Neo leaned his head down towards her ear. "Trinity," Neo breathed, his breath against her neck causing hairs to stand on end. "No more words." Trinity was about to object, fully enjoying their sparring of words when Neo's lips met her neck. Bracing herself against the table she had placed her glasses on earlier, Trinity allowed Neo to push her down slightly as his kisses became more intense, and moved upward. Sighing into his mouth, Trinity captured his lips with her own. Well, Persephone wanted a show. She's going to get one. Just to illustrate to her what she will never have.  
  
Trinity deepened the kiss as she tangled one hand in Neo's hair, and moved the other down his chest, unbuttoning his jacket slowly. Neo pulled away from her long enough to allow the flowing garment to slip to the floor, revealing a tight black button up shirt underneath.  
  
"So many buttons, so little time." Trinity whispered, licking playfully at Neo's ear.  
  
Trinity's lips created a river of fire as her kisses slipped down his neck and then back up again, only to be met fiercely. Neo picked Trinity up enough for her to wrap her legs around his hips and proceeded to carry her to the bed.  
  
Trinity pulled on each of Neo's buttons, quickening the pace as the need for skin on skin began to overpower them. Neo's hands found the zipper again and, upon allowing Trinity to slip off his shirt, almost tantalizingly slowly pulled the zipper down. Down between her breasts, down her abdomen, down to her navel and just below-where the zipper ended. Getting the outfit off of her was a chore neither of them wanted, but proved to be a great mood setter, for when their lips met finally afterward, the fire was burning all the brighter. Neo lost all sense of power and control in the sleek, ivory contours and curves that were so uniquely Trinity.  
  
As the last remnants of clothes were shed, Trinity forgot about the cameras, forgot about the Matrix, forgot about the virus. She forgot everything but the reactions Neo was receiving from her. Hot, cool, soft, hard, wet and moist- all a crazy swirl of sensations. Neo moaned into her neck as she dragged her fingernails up his back, pulling him into her more. Neo quickened his movements as he felt Trinity begin to become controlled by the cravings of her body. Trinity arched her back and pulled Neo's lips down to hers at the same time, reveling in the fire he created by sliding his hand up her side to her neck.  
  
Persephone smiled, amazed at the passion between the two despite being in the Matrix. She watched, shocked as Neo huskily called out Trinity's name as he climaxed and proceeded to collapse on top of her. The shock that these two tough fighters could be seen as gentle and passionate about one another was enough for Persephone to believe that maybe the machines were in the wrong. Watching Trinity stroke Neo's back as his breathing returned to normal was enough to prove that she had nothing she ever believed she had. No, this fighter, this freed slave, this human woman had more than she ever could have dreamed of. She had love, pure and free.  
  
"Well, I think that went well." Trinity mumbled into Neo's ear. Neo slid off to the side of her, allowing himself to get caught up in the soft blankets. He pulled a few up far enough to cover himself before sliding closer to Trinity and proceeded to pull her thigh over his legs.  
  
"Very well." Neo commented as he stroked her thigh.  
  
"Oh no you don't. What we just did should be enough for her." Trinity gently scolded, trying to stop Neo's persistent movements.  
  
"So? Does that mean we should stop?" Neo asked turning his brown eyes towards her blue ones.  
  
Before she could comment however, Neo kissed her lightly on the lips and pulled her into his embrace. Something she willing allowed, sliding her hand over his chest and resting her head in the hollow of his shoulder.  
  
A few minutes later, before either of them could fall asleep, the doors swung open, revealing Persephone's lithe body slinking in towards the bed. Neo made no move to hide their nakedness, nor did Trinity, knowing that Persephone had most likely seen that already.  
  
"Thank you. I learned more than I thought I would today. Here's the key to an airport locker in the closest airport from here. Number 103. It was of my own personal choice. The virus is to be found in the form of a disk. It can be transported from the Matrix to the construct program of your head computer on your ship. Just carry it with you in your pocket. When you are put back into the construct, it will be there in your pocket. What you do with it from there is your own choice." Persephone smiled with a look that expressed sorrow. Who knew what she couldn't have because of the way the machines programmed her?  
  
"Thank you." Neo nodded, smiling briefly.  
  
Persephone nodded and left. Before closing the doors, she added, "The man that brought you up here, Rufus, he will wait for you to dress and will lead you back downstairs." The doors shut and Trinity hoped that would be the last time she ever had to look at Persephone's face. 


	6. How hard is it to get one little disk?

"We've been waiting for over two hours. What the hell went on up there?" Niobe practically yelled the moment Neo, Trinity, she and Morpheus had gotten into their car.  
  
"Keeping up our end of the deal." Neo stated flatly.  
  
"And what did Persephone demand from you this time?" Morpheus asked.  
  
"Let's just say, it had to do with sex and a visual." Trinity answered, staring out the window. Morpheus' head whipped around while Niobe's glance ticked from the road to the rearview mirror.  
  
"Do you care to elaborate?" Niobe asked.  
  
"Not really."  
  
"Persephone wanted to understand our love and she knew that the only way was to watch instead of forcing me to do something I didn't want to do. So, via seven cameras, Persephone watched. Now we have a key to a locker in whichever airport is closest. The virus is in the form of a disk in that locker." Neo explained, knowing Morpheus would only continue to inquire more if he didn't say something.  
  
"Morpheus, you can close your mouth now." Trinity commented, still continuing to stare out the window.  
  
Morpheus, upon regaining his composure, turned to Niobe, "To the closest airport."  
  
"Gotcha."  
  
*** Neo, followed closely by Trinity and Morpheus, walked towards the second row of lockers while Niobe scanned the crowd for any trouble.  
  
"Look, there's the locker." Morpheus pointed towards the third column on the wall.  
  
Neo strode over, put the key in the lock and turned. Upon opening the locker, a yellow disk on top of a piece of paper was found. Neo picked up the disk and pocketed it while Trinity picked up the paper, reading the words aloud.  
  
"'The finder of this disk, should it be someone other than the creator of it, will not make it out of the Matrix'. Hmm, not fun to know." Trinity turned towards Neo and handed him the paper.  
  
"Let's go, we've been here too long." Neo said, looking around, sensing a change in the room.  
  
"Is there something wrong Neo?" Morpheus asked. "I'm not sure. Something's changed." Neo mumbled, looking around. "You guys go on ahead, I'll catch up with you."  
  
"No. I'm not leaving without you again Neo. Not after everything we've gone through." Trinity argued.  
  
"Trinity, this is not a time for us to argue. Go. I'll find you." Neo turned to face her, only to freeze, looking at a spot above her head. "Don't move." Neo whispered.  
  
Trinity flicked her eyes up to Neo's shaded glasses. "Agent?"  
  
Neo nodded. Trinity pulled out a gun without even looking like she moved a muscle. Neo glanced down at it and then turned to face the other, hidden agent.  
  
"Mr. Anderson." The agent drawled in a monotone voice.  
  
"You guys have got to change your greetings." Neo commented.  
  
Just then, a series of bullet shots came from behind him, Neo spun only to see everyone running from the airport and the agent Trinity shot morphing back into an elderly woman. Neo back flipped and spun to meet the second agent. The punching began. Neo blocked them all effortlessly before Trinity yelled, "Neo! Behind you!" And before he could react, a sharp pain dug itself into his lower back. Neo spun, roundhouse kicking the agent before sending the first agent he was after into the wall with a direct punch to his chest. Ignoring the pain, he ran towards Trinity and the exit.  
  
"Come on, let's go!" Niobe called from the driver's seat. Neo stopped before getting in though.  
  
"What's wrong?" Trinity asked. Neo turned away from her, revealing the bullet wound in his back that he had received earlier, but stepped away from her gasp and outstretched arm. Three agents leveled their guns at him and began to fire.  
  
Neo raised his hand, stopping every bullet, and then watched them drop to the floor.  
  
"Go, now!" Neo yelled, not turning around. He waited for the car to take off before stepping forward, awaiting the agents' first move.  
  
*** "Link, we need an exit!" Morpheus called into his phone.  
  
"Got one ready for you. It's in a closed dog kennel on 45th street." Link replied, punching a series of buttons.  
  
"Got it."  
  
"How's Neo?" Trinity asked from the back of the car.  
  
Link paused, looking at the screens. Neo had just sent an agent crashing through a wall, and was doing a spin kick on the other two.  
  
"He's fine. Shouldn't be held up too much longer."  
  
"Okay." Morpheus shut off the phone. "We're going to 45th street."  
  
*** Neo punched another agent, only to be blocked.  
  
"Hmm, you're learning." He flipped backward, over the attacking agent behind him and kicked him in the head.  
  
As he landed, Neo dropped to a crouch and stuck out his leg, tripping the agent up. Spinning around and delivering a deadly blow to the fallen agent's chest, he watched the agent morph into a 30-something man. Looking up, he saw the last remaining agent coming towards him. Neo kicked up and delivered a triple kick to the agent's face. Landing, he spun around and kicked hard enough to hear the bones in the agent's neck breaking. The agent fell, morphing into what Neo assumed was the female counterpart to the man.  
  
Crouching down, Neo pushed off the ground, flying into the air, searching for Niobe's car. Flying forward, he spotted it rounding a corner. He flew down as he saw it slow. Just as everyone got out from it, Neo landed gently next to Trinity, causing her to jump back with shock.  
  
"Nice to see you could make it." Niobe called over her shoulder as she kicked the door down and walked in.  
  
The ringing phone was a welcoming sound to everyone after the day's events.  
  
"Neo, what about your back? You were shot." Trinity turned towards Neo before anyone picked up the phone.  
  
"Check it now, I think I fixed it." Trinity moved behind him, lightly touching his back and the hole in his jacket.  
  
"You did. Wow." Trinity smiled at him slightly.  
  
"I don't know about you, but I'd like to get back to the ship with that disk, thank you very much." Niobe interrupted.  
  
Niobe turned and picked up the phone, disappearing as her RSI left the Matrix. A moment passed before the phone's high-pitched ring cut through the silence a second time.  
  
"Well, today went fairly well." Morpheus commented before placing the phone next to his ear.  
  
Neo and Trinity looked at each other a moment, waiting for the phone to ring a third time.  
  
"Yes, very well." Neo answered, leveling his gaze at Trinity. The phone began to ring and they left the Matrix, itching to be together in the real world, knowing that would not happen with the disk Neo held in his pocket.  
  
~~~~~~~  
  
Reviews please!!!!!! ( 


	7. An inevitable fight in the mess hall

Neo felt a shiver run up his spine as the plug was slid out of his head. It was a feeling he'd never get used to- it just felt too damn weird. Sitting up, he rubbed his neck as he looked for any signs of Ghost. Seeing him nowhere in sight, he exhaled a breath he didn't know he'd been holding. Having to see Ghost right now was not something Neo wanted, nor needed.  
  
"All right. The agents will probably be trying to build up all sorts of firewalls inside the Matrix since you have that disk."  
  
"I don't have it. It's in this computer." Neo waved his hand at the series of screens that Link and Grace were seated in front of.  
  
"If we have it, then why doesn't it show up? In the sense that a disk would show up once in a hard drive." Link asked.  
  
"Because I have to activate it from inside the construct." Neo replied, rubbing his tired eyes. "By the way, what time is it?"  
  
"Around 11 pm-ish. Not sure. I hafta guess." Grace answered.  
  
"Neo, you should be rested before we attempt this. We have no idea what this will do and I don't need you to be exhausted when you leave the construct." Morpheus commented. He placed a hand on Neo's shoulder, turning him towards the door, where Trinity was already exiting. "Go, get some rest. Try to sleep, I know some other- things may occur, but try to get some rest."  
  
"Thank you Morpheus." Neo smiled gently before leaving and following the sound of Trinity's footsteps.  
  
Neo opened and closed the door to his and Trinity's room as quietly as he could, and since the lights went out just as he closed the door, he was blinded for a moment. As his eyes adjusted to the pitch black of the room, he made out the bed and Trinity's form lying atop it. Neo sat on the edge to remove his boots before sliding under the blankets and pulling Trinity's body against his own, wrapping a protective arm around her waist.  
  
"Night Neo." Trinity mumbled, already half asleep.  
  
"Night Trin." Neo responded, his breath brushing against the uncovered skin at the base of her neck.  
  
*** Neo awoke to the feeling of wetness on his neck. A soothing voice whispered into his ear, "Neo, time to get up."  
  
"No, too early for my eyes to open." Neo mumbled back into Trinity's hair.  
  
"Well, I never said you had to open your eyes. I just said 'time to get up.'" Trinity murmured back, her lips again touching his neck.  
  
"Ooooh, good feeling. Feel all tingly." Neo mumbled, opening his eyes enough to see the form of Trinity atop him, her face inches from his own. "Got to say, I like this as the thing my eyes open up to."  
  
Trinity smiled, leaning down to kiss him gently. She pulled backward, in a sort of dare: if you want to continue this contact, then you have to sit up. Not all too surprisingly, Neo complied, wrapping his arms around her. As he lowered his lips down her neck, Trinity gripped him tightly, but all too soon, he felt her pushing him away.  
  
"Neo, we really have to be on time today. Remember the disk?" Trinity asked, her voice losing its playful tone and becoming serious.  
  
"Yeah." Neo answered, sounding defeated.  
  
"Hey," Trinity turned Neo's head towards her own. "There's always later." Neo watched, amazed as this warrior of a woman allowed a small, seductive smile to play across her face before placing a gentle kiss on his lips and standing.  
  
"You ready?" She asked before opening the door upon seeing him nod.  
  
Following her into the mess hall, Neo poured himself a bowl of sludge before sitting down next to Wish. Trinity sat on his other side and Ghost on the opposite side of the table. Neo glanced up just to see Ghost averting the gaze that had been leveled at Trinity. Feeling a swirl of anger rising inside of him, Neo slid his hand under the table and took Trinity's hand. As he gently caressed it with his fingers, he felt her leg push against his own. Neo allowed Trinity to shift slightly- above the table it looked as if she was only switching the way her legs were crossed underneath the table. Underneath the table however, she had slid one leg under Neo's as his own slid between hers.  
  
"Whoa, uh guys? Try to not get so touchy-feely. At least in here." Grace broke the silence from her perch on the counter behind Neo and Trinity. Neo blushed slightly, as did Trinity when all eyes flicked to them. Repositioning themselves so that their legs weren't in the most interesting of places, they continued to eat. However, Grace noticed that they kept their hands entwined underneath the table.  
  
Morpheus opened the door to the mess hall and upon seeing Neo at the table asked, "Are you ready to go in?" Neo nodded, standing. Letting go of Trinity's hand so that they could wash out their dishes, Neo missed a glare directed at him from Ghost. Wish however, did not.  
  
"Ghost, just grow the fuck up."  
  
"Wha-?" Link swiveled around as everyone else looked from Wish to Ghost and back again.  
  
"What the hell are you talking about?" Ghost narrowed his eyes at Wish. Wish may have been relatively new, but she wasn't stupid.  
  
"You are very well aware that Neo is with Trinity and that she is not, I repeat, not interested in you. Instead of moving on, you sit around like a spoiled 6 year old who didn't get his way, glaring at Neo from behind his back. You are so fucking immature!" Wish broke; she just couldn't stand people like him.  
  
"Go screw." Ghost shot back.  
  
"Do it yourself."  
  
"I would, 'cept for a few small-"  
  
"Go ahead Ghost, finished that sentence. Just finish that sentence." Neo gritted his teeth, narrowing his eyes at him.  
  
"I will. A few small obstacles are in my way. Nothing I can't handle." Ghost's gaze ticked to Trinity, who was seething, but hiding it very well.  
  
"And just what are those obstacles?" Neo asked, his anger boiling.  
  
"Namely, you."  
  
Neo snapped- he just didn't care anymore. This was the last straw. Neo stepped forward, leaned over the table, and before anyone could react, grabbed Ghost by the shirt and punched him.  
  
"Neo!" Trinity yelled, but before she could move to stop him, Wish and Grace moved to her side to keep her from going anywhere- clearly, these two had been waiting for this and just wanted to see Ghost get his. Link stood frozen to his spot in the corner, too amazed to react, but too scared to move.  
  
Neo jumped over the table as Ghost stood up. Punching him again, Ghost flew backward, into the wall. As Neo moved toward him, Ghost slammed a fist into his stomach before continuing with a left to Neo's face. Neo flew back and was braced by the table, but Ghost was on him, slamming fist after fist into his face. Trinity fought with all her might to get free and stop Ghost's onslaught, but in the real world, she could not fight off two already tough women.  
  
Ghost eventually paused, thinking Neo may have gone unconscious, but before he could find out, Neo's eyes flew open and he swung- connecting with Ghost's nose. The blood already spattered on the table from Neo's face mixed with Ghost's. Neo swung into Ghost's stomach, doubling him over before kneeing him in the face. As Ghost tried to stand, Neo slammed the final punch into his face- knocking him unconscious.  
  
Link moved to Neo's side to see the damage.  
  
"Damn, your face is so busted up, Neo."  
  
"Thanks, I couldn't tell." Neo responded sarcastically.  
  
Just then, Morpheus and Niobe burst through the door. Taking one look at the unconscious Ghost and the bleeding Neo, Niobe strode in and asked to anyone who would answer,  
  
"What the hell happened in here? We are all grown adults and we may be the last free humans. With this knowledge, you dare to threaten our existence by beating up the One because you couldn't keep your maturity in check?"  
  
~~~~~~~  
  
Reviews are so welcome. Thanx guys. I was so shocked when the reviews began to fly in. Made me all happy. This chapter and the next one (will be updated in no more than 4 days, promise) are the effects of the last chapter. Just for kicks- check out my other fics too (especially Breaking the Rules, no one's reviewed it yet- seems this one's more popular (). Thank you all. 


	8. Breaking ribs is like a dog being neuter...

"Neo, wait." Morpheus called. Neo had left the mess hall, brushed past Trinity and outright ignored both Niobe's commands to stop and Morpheus' calls to wait. Neo came upon his room and opened the door, slamming it in Morpheus' face. Morpheus counted to ten before deciding to go in.  
  
"Neo, please, tell me, what happened in there?"  
  
"He fucking told everyone that he would have Trinity despite me as an obstacle. And that smug look on his face- God. He looked as if he didn't care whether I was the One or not- I was just another guy in his way of getting to Trinity." Neo had sat down on the cot, placing his feet on the edge.  
  
Morpheus sighed before moving further into the room.  
  
"Who swung first?"  
  
"I did. And before you reprimand me, I'd like you to know that he was completely happy when he got his hits in. He didn't stop or slow down even after I had been faking unconsciousness for some time. I waited for him to stop before attacking again."  
  
Morpheus sighed again.  
  
"We need everyone to get along on this ship. As Niobe stated, we may be the last free humans, we need to get along- our survival depends on it. Of course, I can look back and see that Ghost wasn't happy with your relationship with Trinity from the start. This was just a bomb waiting to explode." Morpheus shook his head.  
  
"So, how much trouble will I get into?"  
  
"Well, Ghost's past has always been colorful. He's faithful to the cause, always has been, but he can be too controlling when it comes to women. He's been switched from ship to ship until he came here. With a female captain, it was thought he was put in his place. But he's picked one too many fights and whether he started them or not, it has caused people not to want to side with him."  
  
"Grace and Wish held Trinity back when we fought."  
  
"Yes, I would think they would. Neither of them have especially liked Ghost, though they deal with it maturely, unlike him. I assume they have just been waiting for the time when he would say something and someone would snap because of it. I have no doubt that they enjoyed his beating."  
  
"I didn't always have the upper hand."  
  
"Yes, I can tell." Morpheus touched one particular cut on Neo's face. "Go to the medical ward. Wish will clean you up before sending you into the core."  
  
"Why the core?"  
  
"We still have a job to do Neo, whether you fought with Ghost or not, we still have a disk that could greatly change the numbers we have against us." Morpheus smiled gently, placing a hand on Neo's shoulder before turning and leaving.  
  
*** "So, I assume you enjoyed that?" Neo asked, wincing at the stinging solution Wish was dabbing on his wounds.  
  
"What makes you say that?" Wish asked as she finished cleaning off all the blood. "You have a nasty wound above your eye, all split and everything."  
  
"You held Trinity back, you and Grace. Plus, Morpheus told me."  
  
"In that case, yes, I did enjoy it. He can be a bit of an ass."  
  
"Did he already come in here?"  
  
"Yeah. Unconscious, thank God. I had Link and Grace carry him to his room on a stretcher. Stop fidgeting."  
  
"Well it hurts."  
  
"No shit, Sherlock." Wish shot back, placing ointment and a clear butterfly bandage on a cut underneath his lip. Placing more ointment above his eye and a larger bandage, she pulled back.  
  
"God, you look so bad. Your eye is gonna close up." Wish commented.  
  
"You got a mirror?" Neo asked, touching his face tenderly.  
  
Wish turned around and then handed Neo a small mirror. Neo sucked in his breath upon seeing the bruise across his right cheek, a clear bandage over a gash on his left cheek, a split lip, a bandage on the bridge of his nose, the side of his left eye, and a bruise turning black around the same eye and a larger bandage above his right eye.  
  
"I look like shit."  
  
"Couldn't have said it better. Now, let me have a look at those ribs." Neo smiled, only to feel pain from the action and quickly lay down on the tabletop. As he lifted his shirt, Wish gently pressed her hands against him.  
  
"Ow. OW!" Neo called out.  
  
"Uh oh, looks like he broke a rib or two."  
  
"Will this affect me inside the Matrix?" Neo asked.  
  
"Nah, you're the One. If you can heal a bullet wound, I doubt this'll hurt you. Now, I'm gonna ask you to take off your shirt while I give you a standard dressing for those ribs." Wish paused to help him take off his shirt before beginning to wrap a gauze dressing around his midsection and over his shoulder.  
  
When she finished the dressing and helped him put his shirt back on, she tended to his split knuckles. Sighing when she finished bandaging them up, she moved away.  
  
"You're done. Now, before you jump off the table, there are a few ground rules you must abide by if you want those ribs to heal correctly." Neo sighed, waiting for her to continue. "There is to be no bending or twisting, don't lift heavy objects, try to avoid lifting anything at all. There will be no jumping or stretching and absolutely no sex- since you tend to bend and stretch and have a consider amount of pressure on those ribs when you do. Are we clear?" Wish looked hard at Neo.  
  
With a look of defeat upon his features, Neo replied, "Yeah, we're clear."  
  
"Good, now, go to the core and when you're done, come back here to get some ice for that eye and those ribs." Wish waved him out, trying not to laugh at the One looking so beat up. Oh well, it was just a reminder to him and everyone else- he was only human.  
  
~~~~~~~~  
  
If anyone wanted to know- I created Grace as the Logos operator because when I wrote this, I had not played "Enter the Matrix", so I was unaware of the character Sparks. Also, I didn't know about how Ghost's character was (like a spiritual person) when I wrote this either. Besides, I wanted to have friction, it's fun to write. Thanx to all. By the way, if you have any questions about any of my pieces or something, just ask, I don't mind. 


	9. In the Construct

As Neo limped slowly into the core, he couldn't help but feel like a bug under a microscope. Everyone was watching him- scrutinizing him. The worst had yet to come- Neo still hadn't faced Trinity- or her wrath. Looking around and finding her absent, fear began to take hold of him before Morpheus gently placed a hand on his back and helped him into the chair. Neo lay back, and upon feeling the plug inserted into his head, waited to be loaded in. Opening his eyes to a room with gray walls and a computer in one corner, Neo slipped his hand into his coat pocket and gripped the disk.  
  
Neo walked over to the computer, sat down and placed the disk into the computer. Instantly the screen went black, and coding began to trail along it. Then, to his amazement, the coding began to rewrite itself in a Word document. All the codes were being deciphered. Neo sat back before a question popped up.  
  
"Do you wish to delete all agent programs within the Matrix? Y/N"  
  
Neo stared, unable to believe this was happening. This was a program deletion disk?  
  
Punching a few keys, Neo slid in the back door in order to find out just what this disk did:  
  
C/: commandA  
  
CommandA: deletion disk.  
  
C/: creationD  
  
CreationD: Wipeout disk. Codes deciphered to enable deletion.  
  
C/: creationY  
  
C/: creationY: delete computer programs that have caused problems, viruses, or shut down system.  
  
Neo paused, at a loss, and then more words typed themselves on to the screen:  
  
C/: creationYcont: the machines suck; people should have the right to be free, do it already-Persephone.  
  
Neo smiled. So, Persephone disliked the Matrix. And she knew someone would do just what Neo was doing. Pressing a few other keys, he went back to the screen asking for the deletion of all programs. He paused, then pressed Ctrl Y. A window popped up.  
  
Unknown command Ctrl Y. Delete all agent programs? Y/N  
  
Neo pressed Y. A moment passed before a set of codes began to unravel and disappear. Neo breathed a sigh of relief before a new window opened:  
  
Couldn't finish deletion process. Several agent programs unraveled. Computer cannot delete these hidden and "free" programs. Continue with deletion process? Y/N  
  
Neo pressed Y, awaiting a new window. He didn't have to wait long.  
  
Delete all sentinel programs under completion code: 23HE34-00034? Y/N  
  
Neo pressed Y, waiting for another window to ask for more sentinel programs. Instead, what he got was all the more surprising.  
  
Creation program: ships/weaponry/energy/provisions? Press Ctrl+S, W, E, and P to continue.  
  
Neo pressed Ctrl+S, and after a few moments of typing, had created two ships. Back to the first screen, he moved on to weaponry. When he finished, he had created enough supplies to get everyone on board through several years.  
  
Creation program completed. Drop off point: 32N, 54E. Found over remnants of North America. Protect creation program units until pickup? Y/N  
  
Neo quickly pressed Y before a new window popped up.  
  
Creation program units to be protected until correct password typed in to allow pickup. Password: T890015-PT966000W. Have fun storming the castles- Persephone.  
  
Neo smiled wanly as he leaned back in his chair. The screen went blank and the disk popped out on it's own accord. Neo pocketed it and opened his phone.  
  
"I'm done. Write this down:" Neo paused as he heard Link yell for paper and a pen.  
  
""K, whaddaya want?"  
  
"Write 32 degrees North, 54 degrees East over North America. Next line, write: capital T, eighty-nine, double zero, fifteen, dash, capital P, capital T, nine, sixty-six, triple zero, capital W. You got all that?" Neo asked.  
  
"Yup. Now what's it mean?"  
  
"I'll tell you when I get back." 


	10. Answers about what Neo did

Neo opened his eyes and quickly inhaled upon leaving the construct. He felt a gentle hand on his shoulder as the plug was carefully pulled out of his head. Trinity- Neo knew, only she would take such care in taking the plug out. Because of this knowledge, he wasn't surprised to see her face appear above his before he sat up. Smiling gently, he knew he looked horrible, but didn't care.  
  
"So, what is all this?" Morpheus asked.  
  
"First, Grace, Link, can you run a search on how many sentinel programs had the completion code '23HE34-00034'?" Neo asked as he stood up.  
  
"One sec." Grace said, her fingers flying over the keyboard. A screen scrolled up revealing many different codes before one was selected. "Let's see, out of 2.5 million sentinels, a whopping 1.75 million were created under that code. Why?"  
  
Neo grabbed hold of the chair for balance. "1.75 million?"  
  
"Neo, are you okay? Why did you want to know those numbers?" Trinity asked, moving towards him.  
  
"The disk asked for the complete deletion, or I would assume the shut down of all sentinel programs with that code."  
  
"You're kidding." Link stated in disbelief. Upon Neo's shaking head, "Who designed that program?"  
  
"Another program. Persephone. Throughout the deletions I came upon her little footnotes that were written to anyone who used this disk. I deleted all the agent programs, minus the ones that were 'free' and not connected to the Matrix."  
  
"That could be hundreds. Many agents become unconnected after a matter of time. That's why they change every once in a while." Niobe interjected.  
  
"I also came upon a 'creation program'. It allowed me to create ships, weapons, energy cells, and provisions. They have been created and are protected from any and all sentinels or programs until I get to those coordinates."  
  
"That's on the surface Neo. We can't go there, it's too dangerous." Morpheus argued.  
  
"He just deleted 1.75 million sentinels Morpheus. We have the EMP in the form of a force field. We will be fine." Grace countered.  
  
"I hope your right. Link, set the ship's coordinates to those exact coordinates- only underground. I don't want to be above ground until we have to." Niobe commanded.  
  
"Setting coordinates." Link responded, turning to the keyboards and typing furiously.  
  
"Estimating the time." Grace added, typing her own keys.  
  
A few moments of silence, save for the keyboards Link and Grace were typing on, passed before Link called out,  
  
"We're on our way."  
  
"It'll be roughly one day's travel. You want me to contact the other surviving ships?" Grace asked.  
  
"No. Not yet. Neo, how many ships did you create?" Niobe asked.  
  
"Only two, but the other things I created, if used by just this ship, would last us at least three years."  
  
"Wow. You really had fun in there." Trinity commented, a look of shock on her face.  
  
"How do you know this'll work?" Wish piped up.  
  
"The machines do this themselves. They create fields of humans, they create sentinels, energy, all at the click of a few buttons. They do this inside a computer program. I was given the ultimate hacker program- something to hack into the machines' database and do a little damage, while using their cheats for my own use."  
  
"How could this help us? They'll just make more agents and sentinels." Wish scoffed.  
  
"No. That disk is a virus. Once I begin unraveling the programs, it'll do it's own work. Stopping their creation processes, undoing codes for new programs, everything. The only thing it doesn't do is delete the Matrix on it's own. A person has to manually press a button for that. Persephone wasn't that stupid. She didn't want to die because of her own program."  
  
"Well, I don't think we can do much else. Have we had any sentinel attacks lately?" Niobe asked.  
  
"Two, both times the force field stopped them. Didn't use up much of the ship's energy either. Neo you seemed to have made energy-conserving protection, good job. The first attack was about five sentinels. The second fifteen. I think the next attack will be much more." Link replied.  
  
"Most likely. Be alert in case they get through." Niobe remarked.  
  
"It is a possibility." Neo commented.  
  
"You, go get some rest, it looks like you'll be a Cyclops tomorrow, if not already. Go to the med lab to get ice. Sleep well." Niobe commanded Neo gently. Neo nodded, his left eye almost already shut. It would be an interesting walk to the med lab and back to his room- that was for sure. 


	11. A wounded hero with bruised lips

"So, you're not mad at me?" Neo asked tentatively from his sitting position on the bed. Trinity was leaning against the wall in the corner, a few shelves with assorted objects on them behind her.  
  
"No. Ghost asked for it. Still, I do wish you could've dealt with it a little more maturely."  
  
"Yeah, words were really gonna get through to him. I could see that." Neo muttered sarcastically.  
  
"Men. Always have to deal with a problem the hard way." Trinity rolled her eyes.  
  
"Women. Always thinking they're better than men. You guys can fight pretty bad sometimes." Neo retorted.  
  
"Do you see me fighting with women? No. That's because I'm a soldier, I'm tougher than you're day-to-day woman. I fight with machines instead." Trinity shot back, her voice rising.  
  
"Ugh. Don't yell, please. My head is already splitting in half. Damn, this hurts so bad. I gotta stand." Neo complained, standing slowly. Trinity made no move to help him, knowing as much as he'd like it, he'd shake her off, not wanting to look helpless.  
  
Neo dropped the ice from his eye, the ice for his ribs tied around his bare abdomen. Wish had taken off his shirt and told him not to wear it, saying it would only cause discomfort. Neo complied, but the ice was still cold, no way around that. Neo stood in front of Trinity, bruised and bandaged, and completely shirtless. Trinity moved forward, slowly, before gently placing her lips against his.  
  
"Ow, ow, ow." Neo pulled back, the bruise on the side of his mouth throbbing. "I'm sorry, Trinity." Neo shook his head. She knew he wanted her more than anything, and the inability to do anything was burning him up from the inside. "There is no spot where I have no pain. I'm sorry."  
  
"Oh I doubt that. Let me explore." Trinity smiled, turning him and pushing him backwards until he was against the wall opposite the bed.  
  
Trinity moved to within centimeters of touching him. Leaning in, she nipped at his chin and led a slow and gentle trail of kisses along the underside of his jaw and slowly down his neck. Pausing to suck on a vein throbbing beneath the skin, she smiled at Neo's moan.  
  
"There's another blue mark to add to your collection." Trinity murmured as she continued her trek down. She stopped at the bottom of his neck and moved towards his shoulder before skipping all the way to his ear. Tugging on it with her teeth, Trinity caused Neo moan again before he wrapped his arms around her. Sighing, Neo bent down and kissed her neck carefully so as not to hurt himself.  
  
Trinity paused, allowing Neo to finish his escapade along her neck before pulling back to look into his eyes, while he looked with one eye into hers. Gently trailing her fingers along the cuts and bruises around his mouth, Trinity commented,  
  
"When these heal, it will be the only thing we can do. Until then, you are a victim to my actions." Trinity seductively stated.  
  
"I'm in hell. I can't do anything, and you can do." Neo trailed off.  
  
"Everything?" Trinity finished.  
  
Neo nodded, unable to speak.  
  
"Well. Not everything, but who's counting? Come on, we need sleep."  
  
Neo complied. After several tries at finding a comfortable position for Neo, Trinity ended up in his usual position: behind him, draping an arm over his side to clasp his hand. Neo, unable to act on his desires, was fully aware of every place her body touched his. From her breasts against his naked back, to her legs tangled with his to their entwined hands, he felt her. Every fiber of her.  
  
And, smiling at the thought: every fiber was his.  
  
"I love you, Trinity." Neo said into the darkness that had just minutes ago filled their room.  
  
"I love you too, Neo." She replied. Neo felt her place her lips against his back and then his neck.  
  
This would be very hard to go through, but the minute he healed, he would extract his revenge for every impulse and desire she created in him that he couldn't act on. Oh he would extract it slowly and passionately, that would be sure. 


	12. Neo's revenge and the reason why humans ...

"We've arrived." Grace called out over the intercom to everyone on the ship. Everyone rushed into the core. Neo, arriving last, was allowed to sit in a chair to rest his body.  
  
"Good. Trinity, Neo if you can make it, Niobe, and I will go get the supplies." Morpheus concluded.  
  
"Bring us up." Niobe commanded, walking towards the back of the ship- the docking area.  
  
About half and hour later, Link told them they would be landing in a few minutes outside some sort of building complex. Niobe handed everyone a pack of gear and flashlights while they waited. Neo handed Trinity his flashlight back, the pack was enough weight already. The ship rocked slightly before settling and Niobe strode over to the controls and opened the bay door. Neo and Trinity followed Niobe and Morpheus closely.  
  
Upon reaching the complex, Neo moved forward to punch in the codes that allowed them to get their supplies. A huge bay door opened, revealing two large ships next to each other. Morpheus and Niobe went onto each and switched them on, sending in codes for them to be remote controlled by the Logos. The other supplies Neo had created were found equally split on each ship. Morpheus and Niobe followed Neo and Trinity back to the Logos to leave. The new ships would follow via Grace's guiding remote. She would give the new ships the same coordinates as the Logos before taking off. This way, when they left to go back underground to where they were originally, the other ships would follow them.  
  
Back onboard; everyone was in a hurry to leave. The fact that there were absolutely no sentinels anywhere unnerved everyone. Neo again sat in a plug- in chair while they took off. Trinity went over to him and kissed his jaw gently, allowing her hand to slid down along his side. Nuzzling his neck with her face, Trinity kissed him once more before pulling away.  
  
"Ghost! Nice to see you awake!" Link called out loudly, purposefully to gain Neo and Trinity's attention.  
  
Trinity turned around to see Ghost leaning on the doorframe, looking even worse than Neo. His face was one big bruise, one eye closed, another almost completely shut, splits and cuts all over it, Neo had beaten him to a pulp.  
  
"Yeah, I get that a lot." Ghost drawled.  
  
"You do?" Link asked, incredulous.  
  
"Not really." He replied flatly.  
  
A hush came over the group as he moved towards Trinity and Neo. He stopped just short of Neo as Trinity moved away slightly.  
  
"Hey man. I know we both look like shit. You seem better than me, and I can't say I didn't deserve it without lying. I did. I'm sorry man. I just love her, I can't help it. But now I know it's unrequited. I'll deal." Ghost stuck out his hand. Neo eyed it suspiciously before taking it and shaking it without much strength. Ghost smiled, or at least to Trinity it looked like a smile.  
  
"I'm sorry Trinity."  
  
Trinity didn't respond. Instead she nodded, expressing her higher rank by sending him away with a mere look. Sometimes it was good to be a second-in- command around men.  
  
~~*~~  
  
Three months later.  
  
"Well, I'll just take these bandages off now. Your face has healed, although you've got a light scar above your eye now. Wonderful trophy, isn't it?" Wish rambled as she cut the dressing on Neo's abdomen. "Does Trinity know this is coming off?"  
  
"No. I wanted to surprise her."  
  
"Why's that?" Wish asked, cutting the last of the dressings.  
  
"Revenge. Sweet and pure. She has driven me mad with all her- I'll stop." Neo blushed at how he almost spoke of all the particularly cruel things Trinity had done while he was incapacitated.  
  
"Well, last time I checked, she was in her room. And being the great friend I am, I made sure you two both got off of sentry duty tonight."  
  
Neo stared at Wish before smiling.  
  
"Thank you."  
  
"Bah. We need love on this ship; it keeps up alive and hopeful. Go. Seduce her, torment her, I don't care, just love her." Wish pushed Neo out of the med lab, laughing. They certainly were going to be tired in the morning. Wish decided to pay Link a visit to keep him from intruding the next morning.  
  
~~*~~  
  
Trinity was sitting in her room, reading one of the few books they had onboard when a soft knock came on her door.  
  
"Just a second." She called out, placing the book on the shelf before going to the door. Before she had time to process what was happening, Trinity was pushed into the room, Neo's lips devouring hers. Trinity broke the kiss to move around and close the door. The past few weeks Neo and she had been discovering new ways of passion with just your lips and standing. But tonight, she knew, something was amiss. Something was different, and she had no idea what.  
  
"Neo, what-" her question cut short by his rough kiss, Trinity could do nothing but succumb to his passionate embrace. Neo pushed her into the wall and slowly lowered his lips down her neck. Trinity wrapped her hands around him as she captured his lips with her own. Moaning as Trinity bit down on his bottom lip and pulled on it, Neo slid his hands under her shirt. Sliding a hand up her back caused shivers to run up Trinity's spine. Neo moved back to pull his shirt off, revealing his lack of bandages. Trinity saw this and her eyes flicked to his.  
  
"Y-you're healed?"  
  
Neo nodded. Trinity's hands slid up his back and chest before he pulled her down to the bed. Trinity twisted around until Neo was on top before he stopped short to sit up and take off both his and her shoes and upon lying back down he slide off Trinity's shirt and pants. He trailed his kisses down her neck, down her sternum, down to her navel and then slowly back up while Trinity waited impatiently for his lips to return to hers before kissing him hard and rough.  
  
Soft moans mingled with hoarse gasps as Neo lost himself in Trinity. His lips traveled to a hundred places, but always came back to her lips to be met fiercely for making her wait. Trinity had long awaited Neo's return, but had forgotten how much she wanted him. The need for him to become a part of her overcame both of them. Gripping Neo tightly, Trinity called out his name huskily as the fire burning deep inside of her crashed down around them. Neo's rocking movements slowed down before he collapsed on top of her, breathing into her neck. Leading a slow trail of kisses up her neck to her lips, Neo kissed her once more before sliding off to her side and wrapping his body around hers.  
  
Trinity sighed, content and exhausted while Neo slid his hand up and down her arm, causing goose bumps to rise on her skin. Smiling, Neo placed butterfly-soft kisses on her shoulder blades and the bottom of her neck.  
  
"You're so beautiful." Neo murmured.  
  
"So are you." Trinity twisted around to face him, pressing her forehead against his in the process.  
  
"How? I'm a guy, men aren't supposed to be beautiful." Neo asked with a mock indignant tone.  
  
"Your human. Sometimes you're more human than the rest of us. You're emotions, your knowledge, and even your flaws make you so very human. And if that isn't beautiful, then I don't know what is." Trinity cupped Neo's slightly damp cheek.  
  
"Me neither. You know Trinity, we're going to win this war, and you know why?"  
  
Trinity smiled, and shook her head.  
  
"Machines don't feel, don't make mistakes. They only do what they are programmed to do. We feel, we adapt, we change, we evolve. We always have. We also have those wonderful things called flaws. They make us imperfect. And that is what we have that the machines don't that'll win this war. We aren't perfect, we never will be, but imperfection is so much more wholesome than perfection because you still have something to strive for. That hope, that drive, will win. Well, that and love." Neo smiled warmly at her before kissing her. Trinity hungrily kissed him back. When the kiss ended, Trinity commented,  
  
"Yes, love. A human emotion that is our strongest and our weakest point. Something no machine could ever comprehend. Something that cannot be replicated, fabricated, or figured out. It's just a feeling. A feeling that blinds us to everything except what we want and need. A feeling that is unexplainable. A feeling, only felt."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Alas! This is the end! I'm so sorry!!!! I loved this fic, I loved writing it, I loved reading the reviews, and I'm writing other stuff, so I'm not going away! Thank you for reading it, I hope you enjoyed it while I lasted. 


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